A’s callups Choice, Weeks, Parrino, Figueroa arrive

As I’d reported last night, the A’s called up outfielder Michael Choice, infielder Jemile Weeks and Andy Parrino, and left-hander Pedro Figueroa, and they were all on hand this morning, Choice, Weeks and Parrino flying in from Tacoma while Figueroa actually was here last night.

Choice and Weeks are particularly interesting, of course. Choice was the A’s top pick in the 2010 draft, and this is his first big-league callup, while Weeks was the A’s everyday second baseman most of 2011-12 before being sent down last August. He went from “untouchable” after the 2011 season to banished, essentially.

Weeks said this morning that he is hoping to make the most of the opportunity. “It’s refreshing,” Weeks said of being back for the first time this season. “It’s been a while.”

He said that all the ups and downs of his career the past two years has made him “mentally prepared for whatever I have to face in the future. The Man above will help you get through the situation you can’t control.”

Weeks volunteered to play in the outfield in a bid to become more versatile, perhaps get back up sooner, and while he described being so far away from the action in the outfield as “boring,” he also felt his speed allowed him to get to some balls other outfielders might not. Manager Bob Melvin said there are no plans to use Weeks in the outfield unless in the event of an emergency, i.e. injuries or running out of outfielders in extra innings. Weeks is still just 26 – he could have more to offer the A’s or another big-league club.

Choice probably will play just the corner spots if and when he gets into a game here, though he can play all three outfield spots. Melvin described Choice has having some “thump in his bat,” but he acknowledged that this callup also is a reward for a solid season by a high profile prospect. “No question,” Melvin said. “A nice reward for a guy who’s had a good year and is a prominent player in our organization. … So there are times you reward people and times you bring them in to be a piece, and he’s both.”

Choice said his parents, wife and son will be coming to town to see him tomorrow. “I was pretty excited,” he said of getting the callup news from Triple-A Sacramento manager Steve Scarsone. Catcher Luke Montz, out for more than a month at Sacramento with a shoulder injury, was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Choice.

Choice is batting .323 since the All-Star break and, he said, “I’m swinging the bat well, I kind of got into a groove.”

Parrino has played spectacular defense all year – Sacramento radio man Johnny Doskow calls him “The Magician” – and as Melvin noted this morning, he’s a true shortstop. I asked if Melvin if Parrino will be used in late-innings defensive situations at shortstop, and he said that Jed Lowrie and Eric Sogard both do a nice job there and that in close games, defensive substitutions can be tricky – you might still need the bats later.

It isn’t hard to imagine, though, that Parrino will get some work in the late going; Daric Barton compared Parrino’s defense to Cliff Pennington’s. “If the ball is hit from the hole to second base, he’s able to get it,” Barton said. “Andy’s defense saves so many runs. A guy like that is hard to find. He can definitely help us.”

Barton said that Figueroa is throwing far more strikes than he used to – “A pleasant surprise,” Barton said. “Because the velocity is never a problem. He always throws hard. When he gets ahead, he’s dirty, because his slider is so good.”

Melvin said Figueroa could be a one-inning reliever and he also could work an inning, but probably not more than an inning.

Grant Balfour isn’t expected to be available today after working three days in a row and throwing a lot of pitches. Brett Anderson is available in the bullpen – but it sounds as if the A’s are still looking at Anderson more as a get-him-stretched-out reliever, someone who’d work if the starter is chased early, rather than in some other role.

Outfielder Josh Reddick, who got a cortisone shot Wednesday, said he has had no pain in his right wrist the past day and a half; he is hopeful he will come off the DL when eligible on Sept. 10. He might hit off the tee tomorrow if he comes in feeling good.

Melvin said that Derek Norris (broken toe) had no issues while catching seven innings in a rehab assignment with Sacramento last night; he’ll DH today and catch nine innings tomorrow. He is eligible to return Thursday, at which point the A’s will have three catchers, who all have various strengths – it will be fascinating to see whether Norris (who got hot just before he got hurt), Kurt Suzuki (calls a great game, plays good defense, hitting well since he was traded back to Oakland last week) or Stephen Vogt (strong arm, timely hitter and the only left-handed hitter of the three) will get the call on a given day.